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And Jefus, when he was baptized, went up ftraitway out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he faw the Spirit of God defcending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, faying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed.

Friendly. Who, according to the gospel, are the subjects. of baptifm?

Truth. According to the baptism of John and of the Apoftles; the firft and primitive fubjects of baptifm were fuch; as confeffed their fins, and believed in CHRIST, Matt. iii. 5, 6. Then went out to him Ferufalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confeffing their fins. Acts ii. 41. Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized, many of the Corinthians bearing, believed, and were baptized, both men and women. Acts viii. 36, 37. And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water: And the Eunuch faid, fee, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip faid, if thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. And he anfivered and said, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God.

Friendly. What was the mode and manner of baptizing in the Apostles days?

Truth. The evidence is fo clear, that I muft acknowledge, in the apoftolic times, the manner of baptifm was by immerfion, John iii. 23. And John was also baptizing in Enon, near to Salim, because there was much water. When he baptized our great REDEEMER, it is faid of him, Matt. iii. 16. Aud Jejus, when he was baptized, went up ftraitway out of the water, &c. Irrefutable is that text, in Atis viii. 37. And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him, &c.

Friendly. What is the design and end of this ordinance?

Truth. Some apply too much to it, and fay it is a feal of the covenant of grace, (whereas I know but of one feal to the covenant of grace, which is the precious blood of CHRIST) but the true and real end of baptifm, according to the Apostle's definition, is, that it is a lively figure and representation of the death and refurrection of CHRIST, Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5. Know ye nots that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm, that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, even jo we also fhould walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. Here, were

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it not painful to my dear Friendly, I would give him fome folid thoughts upon the subject by a late author now in glory.

Friendly. If it be comprehenfive upon the fubject, and an elucidation of the text you have just quoted as a proof of baptifm being a reprefentation of the death, burial, and refurrection of CHRIST, let me by all micans enjoy it.

Truth. Mr. Rutherford, in his Thoughts on Baptifm, page 62, fays, "In fhort, the obfervation of baptifm, is an open de"claration of a fixed faith in CHRIST JESUS, and an entire "devotion of the subject to the service of the TRIUNE GOD.

In this folemn ordinance, we affert CHRIST to be our Pro"phet, that hath taught us the things concerning the king"dom of GoD-Our Prieft, who hath made an atonement «for us—And our King, who is to rule, govern, and defend ∞ us; otherwise our fubmiffion is only a blind obedience; for "the FATHER and his ways are only known to fuch as have a "revelation of both from the SON.-In this holy inftitution, "we profefs to claim GOD for our father, hufband, and friend. "Our father-who hath made ample provifion, and now pre"pared us for, and granted free admittance to the childrens "bread. Our hufband-in whom we poffefs all things, and "are now brought home to enter upon the enjoyment. Our "friend-with whom we take fweet counfel, and in fellow

fhip with whom we have great delight. In baptifm we "declare, that we are washed with the wathing of regeneration, "and enlivened by the renewing of the HOLY GHOST; for "they must be clean, who come into the fanctuary of God; "and alive, before they can walk in his commandments "blamelefs. Moreover, in this ordinance we profefs to be"lieve with all our hearts, that the LORD is our portion, his "people our people, and his ways our ways; therefore, with "all our fouls, we devote ourselves wholly to God, for this weighty reafon-we are not our own, but bought with a price; alfo with a firm refolution-to obferve whatsoever "he hath commanded; and with this important prayer-that he would enable us to spend the refidue of our days to his honour and glory,

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"For if our minds be exercifed, and faith employed, during "the adminiftration of this fignificant folemnity, we cannot but be impreffed with the remembrance of the bitter baptifm "of our SAVIOUR's falutary fufferings, when he was im"merged in fin, overwhelmed in wrath, and plunged in the "depth of agonies for us. Thus, while we are indulged with foul-reviving views of our FATHER's love, and heart-affect

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"ing profpects of our SAVIOUR'S fufferings, we cannot but
"long and pray for the HOLY GHOST to lead us into green
"paftures, and befide the ftill waters; fo that we may drink
"deeper into the love of JESUS, and behold his beauty through
"the windows, while he fhews his glory through the lattice.
"This being granted, in baptifm we view the death of our
Surety making atonement for our fins-his grave, in which
"all our guilt is buried and his refurrection, whereby we
enjoy juftification of life. In this figurative fountain, we
"behold the streams of grace, proceeding out of the throne of God
"and the Lamb, and flowing into our fouls, in virtue of the
"death, burial, and refurrection of JESUS; and are led by
"faith to fee a death to fin in our intellectual powers; the
"old man buried, and the new man in CHRIST rifing to holi
"nefs of life-We have a profpect of the baptifmn of fufferings,
"to which we are called as pilgrims of Jesus; Nor does this
66 grieve or difturb our fpirits, while we behold the eternal God
qur refuge, and his everlafting arm our fupport. If we have
"not yet received, we are encouraged to wait for that fealing
"evidence of the HOLY GHOST, which every faint is to look
"for, and expect after believing-The entire bathing of our
"bodies in water, represents the bathing of our fouls in the
"blood of the LAMB-In going down into the water, we have
"a lively fense of our implantation into CHRIST, and of fink-
ing deeper into the love of GoD, which flows from the ful
"nels of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST-In paffing
through the element, we have a fweet fymbol of our tranf
"lation out of the kingdom of darknefs, into the kingdom of
"God's dear Son-In coming up out of the water, we have
"the joyful prospect of a complete deliverance from all fin and
"forrow; together with a triumphant refurrection from the
grave of corruption, and an abundant entrance into the king-
"dom of blifs and glory. Finally, whatever is neceffary to
qualify a finner for communion with GoD in his house be-
low, is reprefented in baptifm; as whatever is necessary to
<< qualify a faint for communion with God in his house above,
"is reprefented in the Lord's Supper. They are outward
"and vifible figns of the true and real fubftance, and cannot
poffibly be of the leaft advantage to any foul, further than
"faith is concerned, and the understanding employed to be-
"hold the glory fignified. Thus while we rejoice in the
"bleffing, and feed thereon ourselves, we profefs to others
"our confidence in, and devotedness to the great THREE-
"ONE."

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These ideas, my dear Friendly, I apprehend, upon folid confideration, are included in the text, Therefore we are buried with bim by baptifm into death. But as you are at years of maturity, it therefore highly behoves you to fearch the Scriptures, and fee whether the things fpoken be fo or not; to the law and to the teftimony.

Friendly. Your ideas upon the authority, fubjects, mode, and end of baptifm, are too ftriking and engaging to fuffer me to be fupine concerning my acquaintance with the truth of it; but as this is only to be obtained by giving up my heart unrefervedly to God in his word, it must be appointed for my folitary hours. I would now therefore beg your thoughts upon the facrament of the LORD'S SUPPER.

Truth. The ordinance of breaking of bread, or the LORD's Supper, is thus defcribed: "It is a seal, or facrament, wherein, "by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to "CHRIST's inftitution, his death is fhewed forth, and the "worthy receivers are not after a carnal and corporal manner, "but by faith made partakers of his body, and with all his "benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace;" agreeably to 1 Cor. xii. 23, &c. That the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, be brake it, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: This do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye fhew the Lord's death till he come.

Friendly. Why is bread and wine made ufe of, to fet forth the precious body and blood of CHRIST?

Truth. Because it is the most comprehenfive and fignificant fign of the thing. Bread, you know, is of a ftrengthening nature, therefore proverbially called, the staff of life. In like manner the body, or the human nature of CHRIST, is called the bread of life, because his human nature is replete for ever, with all the bleffings of life, promises of grace, and the enjoy ment of glory; nay, in fhort, all the fulness of Heaven refides in the MAN-JESUS, as he dwells in perfonal union with GOD, therefore it is that he fays, I am the bread of life; all the life that now is, that ever was, or that ever will be, was communicated from him, who hath life in himself. Bread is of a nourishing and strengthening nature, proper and fit for the fupport of mankind; fo the human nature of CHRIST, being the grand repofitory of grace, and enriched with all the

bleffings of pardon, peace, and life, it becomes to the Christian, food to eat, that the world knows not of. And as this is the cafe, what can be a more lively representation and symbol than that of bread? Further, wine being of an enlivening nature, is a proper emblem to fet forth, in the moft lively and ftriking manner, the bleeding love of a dying SAVIOUR, in all its refreshing streams.

Friendly. Why is it called the LORD's Supper?

Truth. Because inftituted by CHRIST the evening before his painful fufferings, 1 Cor. xi. 23. The Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread. The Apostle likewife calls it a feast, 1 Cor. v. 8. Therefore let us keep the feast. which is a fit appellation, as therein is reprefented all the provifions of infinite wisdom, treasures of divine love, marrow of joy, fatness of divine contentment, and the pleafures of ineffable fatisfaction, being regaled with love better than wine : A prophetic view of which, made the Pfalmift fay, in a kind tranfport, They fhall be abundantly fatisfied with the fatness of thy boufe, and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures. And again, Pfal. Ixiii. 5. My foul fhall be fatisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth fhall praife thee with joyful lips.

Friendly. To whom is this ordinance to be administered?

Truth. Only to believers, fuch have faith to discern the LORD's body, 1 Cor. xi. 28. But let a man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. And as this is an ordinance for the church to commune and enjoy fellowship together, in the celebration and commemoration of the SAVI OUR's dying love, to ftrengthen their faith in him, inflame their love to him, and renew their affections one to another, it ought not therefore to be adminiftered to a fingle perfon, as the word affords us no example for it. Moreover, fuch a practice destroys the privilege of the church, as a fpiritual fociety, corporation, and family of Heaven, 1 Cor. xi. 33. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. Friendly. To whom does the adminiftration of this ordinance belong?

Truth. To the Paftor, the moft proper adminiftrator of this folemn ordinance, as he is the under-fhepherd of the flock, Reward of God, ambassador of CHRIST, and therefore none fo fit as them to deliver the LORD'S meffage to his people; efpecially, as he hath the overfight of them, it is his peculiar office to feed the flock of God, which at once cuts off any private brother's pretence to adminifter this.ordinance, for that would

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